TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2017 BY ASH GRAY OF VENOM PRISON

Photo: Jake Owens

What a year 2017 has been for Venom Prison ! Its always a pleasure to have Ash contribute to Atom Smasher and we managed to catch up with him after the November tour with CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR & GOD COMPLEX.

Here’s Ash’s Top 10 Releases of 2017…

Decrepit Birth – Axis Mundi

If listening to instrumental gods with gnarly vocalist is your thing, then this will be right up your street.

Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun

I’ve been a big fan of Chelsea Wolfe since discovering “Pain Is Beauty” and each record brings something new and progressive.

Guitar tone is on point as well as not to mention how incredible Chelsea’s vocals on this album.

This isn’t really something relevant to how the albumsounds as such but the music videos for this record are very aesthetically pleasing.

Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon

I wish it was 2047 and I was in Event Horizon or Alien on the USS Sulaco maybe? Legging it from Aliens using a M41A Pulse Rifle blasting the fuckers to death.

Venom Prison toured with Gorguts, Havok, Revocation and Fallujah earlier this year and I only realised after the tour that Dan from Revocation, plays in AB, it would have been cool have chatted about this band.

Really dig this record.

Pallbearer – Heartless

I was late listening to this record, which I regretted instantly. My words won’t do this record justice, so if you haven’t listened to it, then add it to your list.

Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper

This is a record I’ve sat down too many times and purely switched off from the world to. It’s a very powerful record, the mood it creates is very special and having it as one track really makes you want to engage with it and not skip a single second. Words can’t really describe a record like this.

Dying Fetus – Wrong One To Fuck With

It’s in the title really, this record doesn’t fuck around. Fetus have always been consistent with their records but I feel like this is probably one of the strongest records they have put out.

Hour Of Penance – Cast The First Stone

Label mates (Prosthetic Records) with Venom Prison this record is awesome, it’s been a great year for extreme death metal.

Incendiary – Thousand Mile Stare

Another band I have been into for some time now, I remember playing shows with them when I filled in on guitar for Natural Order and they crushed it live as well.

It’s not very often that I firmly believe the honesty behind lyrical content but I feel this band really has their lyrical views on point. The struggle of REAL LIFE.

Pyrrhon – What Passes For Survival

I’ve been prompted numerous times to listen to this record and yeah this is gross.

Necrot – Blood Offerings

I find a lot of modern classic death metal records can get very boring personally, this record that isn’t the case. I’ve had this record playing for a good while now.

Thanks once again Ash and we look forward to saying hello again in 2018!